It's Time To Seize The Night
by rock redemption
Summary: After running away from the life that was formed around her, Allana moved to Gotham to follow her dream of being a hero. She never imagined that she would run into the Bat and his sidekick on her first night in town. Now living among some of the most powerful teens around, Allana is put into a position that could change the way she sees everything, including herself. On Hiatus.
1. Meeting the Legendary Duo

When Circe told me I had surpassed all of my tutors, I thought she was kidding. It wasn't until I was floating over Gotham, searching for Batman and Robin, that it even occurred to me that she might have been correct.

She took me in after I ran from Themyscira. She never asked why I ran. She never bothered me with questions of the origins of my powers. She took it all in stride; my magic, my Goddess, and my strange obsession with the Boy Wonder. She trained me, taught me everything she knew about magic, and when she had no more to teach me, sent me to other magicians and masters from whom I would learn martial arts, everything about the world of which I had come to belong, and the divide between good and evil, right and wrong, hero and villain.

Circe had been kind to me when I had needed it most. She loved me as though I were her own flesh and blood. She raised me, but that was never who she really was. She was Circe, the sorceress that time and time again tried to kill the princess of the very land I ran from. She was no hero, she was not one of the good guys that I so admired. Therefore, after I returned from the home of my most recent master, I gathered what of mine I saw fit to bring, and ran from the woman that took me in.

I ran to Gotham. I had always wanted to meet Robin and I had to assure the Batman that I was no villain. It was about two a.m. when I spotted the caped crusader and his adorable sidekick matching off with a small army of second-class thugs. They were out-numbered badly, but the odds were ever in their favor. I hovered over the growing mess of downed men, debating whether or not I should interrupt their fight. As it turns out, my hesitation was literally my downfall as the clouds that had been covering the moon decided to reveal its enchanting light. It was a full moon and the moons glow could shine no brighter than it had on that night. My body responded to its heavenly mother as it always had and always would. My eyes started glowing and my magic floated around me like a hazy rain, the light catching on the drops; a beacon in the dark. I was grounded in seconds with the Batman and Robin looming over me.

"Hi. I'm Heketa," I said calmly as though my wrists and ankles weren't bound by metal chords. "You can call me Keta."

"Why are you in Gotham?" The Boy Wonder scrunched up his nose and frowned at me. He was pretty cute when he was confused.

"Just moved to town," I replied locking eyes with Batman; well more like I stared at where his eyes would have been if they were at all visible. "Thought I'd take a look around."

"Then do so during the day," apparently I did not yet have the honor of hearing the Dark Knight himself speak. Robin was doing all the talking.

"I'll keep that in mind next time," I still had to find a place to live, register for night or online classes, and locate a place of employment. I didn't have time for a friendly chat with Gotham's resident hero. "Bye."

"Wait."Ah, he finally speaks. "Where are you staying?"

"The truth?" A nod was my only cue to continue. "I'm not sure yet. I just arrived in Gotham a few hours ago."

"Then come with us." With that, the legendary duo walked away from the now semi-conscious men and towards a cleverly parked car, the Batmobile.

"You comin'?" How could I say no to that? Robin really was too cute for my own good. I nodded and followed behind them, but hesitated to enter the possible coffin on wheels. "What's wrong?" Damn him, he's too observant.

"No offense to Batman or anything, but I'd prefer to fly. It's less likely for me to fly into a bird than for us to crash." I didn't intend for it to come across snarky, but I really don't like cars. Or enclosed spaces. Or enclosed spaces that happen to be on wheels and sporting a massive rocket thing on the back end.

"You won't know where we're headed. Just get in. I promise, he's an excellent driver." It's hard to argue with that breed of logic without sounding childish, so I warily got into the death-on-wheels and Batman sped off.


	2. Interrogation-Batman Style

Disclaimer: I forgot this on the first chapter, but here it is; anything you recognize, I don't own. All that I claim is my OC Heketa.

I didn't know that Batman enjoyed collectables. If I had, I would have brought him the anaconda snake skin shedding I found when I was in South America, though I'm not sure that a gift would have made the chains binding my arms and legs to this chair any looser.

"What is your name?" He needs to get a new question; this one has been repeated so much that I feel like a broken record.

"What is yours? After all, it is only polite to give your name when asking that of another." I can't help it if pissing off the Batman is fun. I can practically see steam coming out of his ears.

"Why are you called Heketa?" This guy just does not give up.

"Because it suits me." One would think this interrogation would be over by now. It's been, what, three hours now?

"How so?" Persistent man; I have to give him credit though as he has yet to try and strike me.

"The same way Batman suits you and the Joker suits, well, the Joker." That should rattle him a bit…. Or piss him off even more. Oops.

"And how is that," he growled out between clenched teeth. Maybe I pushed a bit far bring up his enemy.

"You're dark and somewhat scary while he is crazy and laughs like a hyena." I should probably stop while I'm ahead. "I go by Heketa because it is a variation of the name Hecate, the Greek goddess that gave me my powers."

"What all are you capable of?"

"That's a good question; one that even I don't have the answer to." It's sad that that's not exactly a lie.

"And why is that?" I thought Batman was supposed to be a patient man. Yeah right.

"Only the goddess knows the true extent of my power. I am simply a vessel through which she may act on this plane of space and time." It's not what he wants to hear, but at least it's not a lie.

"So she controls you," he stated, but frowned when I shook my head as though the notion of it repulsed me.

"No. She communicates with me and gives me advice and wisdom. She does not control my body as it was not made for her. Rather, she makes suggestions and I chose when to follow them."

"What are you able to do?" Now he's just being lazy. If he would simply search Her name and find the things She has dominion over, he would know what I'm currently capable of.

"I can give non-verbal commands that act as spells."

"But that's not all, is it?" Lazy coot; if he wants to know so badly, he should just search for my goddess. "How are you able to fly?"

"My magic."

"Explain why you glow in moonlight." Bastard, he could at least say please.

"If you did your research, Hecate is a goddess of the moon. On nights of the full moon, like tonight, my magic is at its peak and my body responds to the moons energy."

"What else?"

"What makes you think there is anything else?" Damn him. Damn his interrogation. Damn his insistent questioning.

"What else?"

"Fuck you. I've answered enough of your damn questions! I'm leaving and you won't stop me." With that, the chains shatter to dust and I stand, coming eye to eye with the infamous Batman. If he wants to know everything about me, he can damn well find the easy stuff on his own. "World's best detective my ass."

I was halfway out the cave entrance when Robin grabbed my arm and held it still. "Wait. Just talk to us. We want to help you."

As adorable as that was, "Who said I wanted or needed help?" I couldn't help being snappy; the sun was rising and I didn't want to stay up any later than I already had. Being nocturnal and all was a pain in the ass sometimes.

"I- We- don't want you to leave yet. Just stay and talk to us. Batman's just a little…" Robin trailed off, looking for a word that would work while not insulting his mentor. "…harsh."

"I won't talk to him, ya' know." As childish as this is, "If he says a word to me without my initiating it, I'll leave."

"Deal." And that was the first of many deals I'd make with the Boy Wonder.


	3. Interrogation-Robin Style

Disclaimer: I don't own!

"So, what are you doing in Gotham?" Good, he's starting with safe questions; easy to answer and relatively simple.  
"Just wanted to get away from who I had been staying with. She didn't have anything left to teach me, so I left." Like I said, easy answer that leads to hard questions. Fun.  
"But why Gotham? Why not Metropolis or Central City?"  
"Is it so hard to believe that I wanted to meet the incredible Batman and Robin? I mean you are cute enough…" I know I shouldn't but teasing him is seriously fun and I'm not really lying.  
A blush started to creep up his neck when Bats audibly cleared his throat. "Right," Robin replied stiffly. I smirked. "You shouldn't say stuff like that."  
"Why not? It's true." His blush became a little bit more prominent. "Don't you realize how adorable you are? A little Robin that has yet to leave the nest; its sweet."  
"I'm thirteen and I'm not adorable or cute or any of those other things. I'm the Robin." He said this all in a rush. I don't think he realizes that I'm only a year older than him, if that.  
"Okay. I'll stop teasing, but really though, can we finish this up tomorrow? The sun is up and I'm nocturnal and haven't slept for days." I hated to ask, but I could only go for so long without any sleep and I was fast approaching my limit. If I didn't go to sleep soon, I'd crash regardless of where I am or whose presence I'm in.  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I didn't realize." Did he realize that he was rambling? Doubtful. "Where are you going to stay tonight? Batman?"  
"She'll stay here." He turned to me as he went on. "Just don't touch anything." With a Bat-glare to me and a nod to Robin, the Dark Knight vanished into the shadows of the insanely large cave.  
Robin watched his mentor as he left and turned to me with a grin. "Well, I have school tomorrow, so you'll be pretty much stuck down here until I get back or Batman decides how he's going to handle this… situation, I guess." And with that, he gestured to a hospital bed along the wall behind me and left much like the Batman had only moments before.  
I didn't waste time changing from my uniform and into some sleepwear. I was comfy enough and sleep was like a beckoning oasis in a desert. I was out before my head hit the scratchy pillow.


	4. After A Long Day's Sleep

Disclaimer: I don't own!

When I woke up, Robin was standing over me. "Yes? What can I do for the Boy Wonder today?"  
"Try 'tonight'. It's just getting dark out. You really slept all day." Gee, does he not know what nocturnal means?  
"That's the idea, Robin." Oh, it's the Bat. Yay. "She did say that she was nocturnal." Then he turned his hidden gaze to me. "We figured out where you can stay. It's called Mount Justice. You'll be working on a team of young heroes. We're heading over now, so gather what you need to take with you and get to the car."  
"And if I say no?" All I got in return was a glare that could wither a cactus. Just figured I'd ask. "Then let's go. I can use magic to transport my stuff later. It's safe enough for now."  
About twenty minutes later we pulled up beside an old, very worn out phone booth. I sent Robin a look and he grinned in response. Batman pushed Robin towards the booth and then told me to follow, he'd come through after I went.  
Cautiously, I stepped through the rusty heap of metal and was immediately blinded by a bright blue light. A computerized voice began to say something, "Heketa B-014". Lovely, I'm a number. I wound up in a very bright cave looking thing surrounded by other teenagers that looked about my age. I tried to step backwards only to bump into a very large Batman.  
"Hi, I'm Megan. You must be Heketa." This girl is too chipper for my taste, but she's polite, which is rare in and of itself, and didn't look threatening like the others did. She looked about a year or two older than myself with reddish-orange hair and almost red eyes. Interesting; odd, but interesting.  
"Yeah, but call me Keta for the time being." It couldn't hurt to be polite.  
"This is Superboy, Artemis, and Kaldur. Wally's not here at the moment, but he will be soon," she said with a smile. I smiled to the others with a small wave, but stopped once I saw the look the blonde -Artemis? - was giving me.  
"What?" I didn't mean to have an attitude, but there was no way I had done anything to offend her in the five minutes I'd been standing here. She didn't respond, just continued to glare.  
The dark skinned guy, Kaldur I think, walked up to me with his hand outstretched. "I am Kaldur'ahm, but please call me Kaldur. Welcome to the team." He seemed sincere, so I took his hand, but instead of shaking it, I just held it for a minute before releasing it. His hand dropped down to his side as he looked at me, confused.  
"You're Atlantean." I didn't say it as a question. When I touched his hand, I could hear my goddess speaking to him. She has a close bond with the seas and his people were born of the waters she loved, so she could recognize them easily. However, since I had never seen an Atlantean before, I, as her vessel, had no idea what he was until I touched his hand. "Sorry."  
"It is alright, but who was speaking to me? She sounded familiar." He sounded as confused as the others looked.  
"That was the goddess Hecate. She is close with all Atlanteans, present, past, and future. I am her vessel and through me, she can speak to mortals." Hopefully, that cleared up some of his confusion, his -our- teammates on the other hand, looked even more confused.  
I was about to go on when a red headed male flew past me and into what appeared to be the kitchen. Noticing my confusion and taking pity on me, Megan informed me that that was Wally, otherwise known as Kid Flash.  
"Kid Flash!" She tried to get his attention, which only resulted in, well, nothing. She tried again with the same result.  
"I'll get him." I'm pretty sure Artemis only did that to get away from me, not that I minded. Her glare was beginning to give me a headache.  
"What? I'm eating here." How immaculate. I'm surprised he could even speak with so much food in his mouth and Artemis literally dragging him by the back of his uniform. "Would you let me go? I can walk fine on my own."  
"Wally, meet Heketa. Heketa meet Wally. There, done, can we go now?" Wow. Artemis really cannot stand me. She glared even harder when Wally swallowed his food and turned to me, shock written all over his face.  
"Hey, Good Lookin'." Ew, he even wiggled his eyebrows for added effect. "How about a private tour of the mountain? I'll be your guide."  
"Or," I said with exasperation. "We could go separate ways, never to meet again." Robin was chuckling and Superboy had a grin. Even Artemis looked like she was hiding a smirk. "I don't know about you, but I like that plan much better." Even Megan and Kaldur were grinning now.  
"Feisty, but you will fall for me. It's just a matter of time."  
"Right. And you're wasting my time." Turning to Robin I asked when was dinner, only to be answered by Megan.  
"It's almost four p.m., so in about an hour, I'll start cooking." Megan really was too sweet. I get the feeling she was the mother of the team.  
"Cool. Until then, where should I drop off my stuff?" If I had to stay here, I might as well get comfortable.  
"What stuff?" Wally asked. How does he manage to speak with so much food in his mouth?  
"It'll be here in a bit. I just need to know where to drop it." And here come the questions in...  
Three.  
Two.  
One.  
"Huh? But you're not carrying anything."  
"I'm a magic user. I can use spells to transport objects from place to place. Simple really."  
"What else can you do?" This coming from a martian... She could just read my mind to figure it out. Nice of her not to, though. I can see Batman lurking in the corner, he's using them to gather information on me. Pretty slick, but no dice Batsie.  
"Just the normal magic stuff; spells, telepathy, telekinesis, the norm." Well, not really just the average stuff, but a girl's gotta have some secrets worth keeping.  
"You're lying." Artemis. Great. "You can do more than that. What are you hiding?"  
"I'll share when you do, Blondie." If she wants to know my secrets, than she should realize that I know hers too. "But we both have our reasons, don't we?" A nod was all I got in return.  
"Anyway, your room is down the hall between Robin's and Superboy's," Kaldur interjected. "I'll take you and then when you've finished unpacking, we can all go on a tour of the Mountain."  
"Thanks. Lead the way." And he did.


	5. Team Bonding

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize. If you already know all about it, then it did not in fact come from my imagination.

"Many of the rooms here are vacant, so feel free to choose your own. Only Megan and Superboy currently live here, but we each have a room in the case of particularly long missions." Kaldur really was going to give me the grand tour, but he was going to show me my room first so that I can drop off my belongings.

"So you live in Atlantis, then?" We stopped in front of a blank door, the first one so far in the hall. He nodded and typed in some code and the door slid open without a sound.

"After you," he said.

"Ah, thank you. Robin must live with Batman, so where do Kid Flash and Artemis live?" I summoned my stuff and let the bags fall silently to the bed. "Not to pry or anything, just curious."

He stared at me for a moment deciding whether or not he could trust me before he just came out with it. "Kid Flash lives in Central City with his mentor and Artemis lives with her mother." That marks the end of that line of questioning.

"Right. So, I'm done in here. How's about that tour?" While he was explaining, I had put away my belongings and sat on my bed.

Plain as it was, this room was actually pretty nice. It was big enough for a large desk with a computer, not that I had one, and came equipped with a large dresser beside a window overlooking the beach. The bed stood against the middle of the wall opposite the entry and on the third wall, the one lacking a window, was another set of doors the presumably lead to a closet. I would definitely have to go shopping in order to fill this space.

"Follow me. We'll meet back up with the others in the lounge." With that, he turned away from me and my brief scrutiny of the room.

"On your six, Boss." He turned to stare inquisitively. "Right behind you." A nod and we continued walking.

A couple of silent minutes later, we arrived at the lounge where the others were sprawled about on a variety of couches in front of a tv that only showed static.

"Whatcha watching?" Mostly pointed at Robin, but Kid Flash chimed back an answer first.

"Superboy's watching static. We were just too lazy to actually do anything until you two came back."

I'm going to regret this, but "You could have come along, you know."

"Did you miss me that much?" Regretting it already.

"You know that I missed you the second you were out of my sight. It's comforting to know that I'm not the one here with the worst fashion sense." His uniform is yellow and red. Mine is all black. I win.

"Hey!" He may be annoyed, but Artemis, Kaldur, and Superboy were smirking while Robin and Miss M. laughed.

"Not sorry."

"We should take her on the tour while Kid Mouth is quiet. She might actually decide to stay if she sees what the cave has to offer without his input." Ever the clever one, Robin. Cute, too. "So, Kita? Ready for the tour of your new home?"

"Like you even have to ask." And off we went. They showed me the lockers, the showers, the gym, the med bay, Kid Flash's souvenir room, the kitchen, the library, the hangar, the mission room, and since Kaldur had already shown me where everyone's rooms were, the beach was our last stop.

We were relaxing on the sand when Artemis moved closer to my spot in the shade, away from the others slightly. "About earlier, when you first arrived, sorry."

"No worries. If everyone seemed to like me immediately, I'd be worried." She seemed sincere enough. "How long have you been on the team."

"A couple of weeks. I was brought in right before we were assigned to protect some scientist person from the League of Shadows." She hesitated, but went on. "How did you know I have secrets?"

"The thing by the zeta-beams?" A nod. "That was a shot in the dark. I just figured that everyone on the team would have secrets, but you seemed like you fight to hide yours more than the others would theirs."

"Right." We drifted into a comfortable silence after that. Silence until Megan came bounding over.

"We should go shopping! Kaldur mentioned how you only have like two bags and I thought that we could have a girls' day or something while the guys do whatever they do." I've noticed that she didn't breathe during all of this. Maybe something to do with being a martian?

"Sounds fun. Artemis?" I glanced at her for confirmation. She nodded is what I assume to be agreement. "Alright. Yeah. Shopping. With what money?"

"What do you mean?" They all looked so confused.

"I'm a magic user. Whenever I wanted or needed something, I could just summon it. I've never had a need for money before, so I don't have any." That, and Circe's idea of a five finger discount. Break in a midnight and take whatever you want. Safe to say, I didn't go shopping with my surrogate mother much.

"Oh." Realization dawned on Robin's face before he disappeared with a laugh.

From the looks on the others' faces, "I'm guessing the happens often?"

A withering glance from Kid Flash, "Everyday."

Robin reappeared in front of me, holding out a rectangular piece of plastic. "I was wondering why Batman handed me this this morning. It's to take you shopping for new stuff."

"Sweet," Kid Flash shouted even though we were only two feet away. "That means you could buy the whole mall. All expenses paid by the Bat-"

"Just for her, Wally," Robin interrupted. "Not you."

I don't know about 'Wally', but my day just brightened dramatically. This would be my first time actually shopping. I told them such, and they weren't so surprised this time.

"Well yeah. If she has never used money before, there's no way she's ever been shopping," Robin explained to Wally.

"Do you want to drive or go by Bio-ship?" By what-now?

"Uh, Megan?" I just don't understand this girl sometimes. "What's a Bio-ship?"

"My ship, silly. It's resting in the hangar, come on."

Back in the hangar, a red looking thing seemed to react to Megan's presence.

"It is her ship from Mars, Allana, you would be wise not to refer to it as a 'thing."

"Hecate, you're here! Milady, what exactly is a bio-ship?"

"A bio-ship is an aircraft made entirely from organic materials that can respond to the martian's mental commands. Do not attempt to use your own magic on it. This ship is loyal only to the martian. They are attempting to speak with you. Return to them. "

I came to with Robin waving his hand by my face and the others hovering nearby.

"Is that what happens when you talk to your Goddess?" Of course Kaldur would be the only one with any idea of what just happened. I nodded in response and Megan took that as her cue to continue her spiel about the ship.

"C'mon," she said as she boarded the ship. "I'll make a seat for you Kita."

I hesitantly entered the now full-size ship. "You said that you prefer to fly, didn't you?" Robin, you smart-ass. "This is flying."

"This, no offence Megan, is a flying coffin. I would fly myself, no offence Megan, but I'd get lost." With that, I took my seat and shamefully squeaked when the harnesses strapped my in place. "A flying coffin with seat belts Lovely." Robin snickered from behind me. "Hardy har har. Alright, let's go."

"Don't you want to change into civvies?" I hadn't noticed but the others had already changed into civilian clothes for the outing.

"Right. Carpe Noctem." With the magic words,a swirl of purple magic changed my uniform into my normal outfit composed of a black tank-top, grey vest, black pinstripe capris, and my favorite pair of black lace-up high top wedges. Perfect. I looked around at the others. "What? Never seen magic before?"

"Not like that," Robin muttered.

"What was it that you said right before," Kaldur asked. "Some kind of spell?"

"Yep. The only spell I actually have to use. All of my other spells and magic are done using non-verbal, mental commands kind of like Megan's." Now is as good a time as ever. "And my name is Allana Medici. Call me Ally."


	6. In the Kitchen with Megan

Sorry for the long delay. I've been doing more reading that writing. Forgive me?

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that you recognize. If you already know all about it, then it did not in fact come from my imagination.

Returning to Mount Justice was a welcome release from Megan's clutches. I could hear the others laughing, but I was more focused on evading the powerful martian who was insisting that we go back so I could try on some frilly dress thing.

"Megan," Kaldur interrupted her ramblings. "We are already in Mount Justice, it would be senseless to return so soon."

"Thank you," I all but rasped out from my place on the couch. "I didn't think she'd ever stop."

"She doesn't get to be someone's personal stylist often, so she can go kinda overboard," Robin stated as he plopped down on the couch next to me. "What I don't understand is why you're so tired?"

"Transmuting the clothes she picked out into stuff that I'd actually wear is hard work," I said picking at the fabric. "She bought a lot of stuff, more than I've ever owned." Shaking my head, I stood up and waved my hand over the bags littering the entryway. Superboy walked in just as they disappeared.

Robin glanced from me to where the bags had been not seconds before and back to me. "Do you use magic all the time?"

"That depends. Do you always collect info for the Bat?"

"Usually." He didn't even pretend to look bashful. "You didn't answer my question."

"My not using magic is like you not wearing a mask or sunglasses."

"So, yes."

I relented. "Yes, I use magic all the time." He nodded and Megan walked over and grabbed my arm, dragging me into the kitchen with her.

"You're helping me make dinner and/or desert. Your choice." Doesn't look like I have many options.

"Sure, I'll take desert. I make a mean cheesecake." She looked confused. "I make really good cheesecake." She nodded and turned to the fridge and shook her head.

"We don't have the ingredients to make the pasta I was going to make." Maybe I could be helpful.

"What don't we have?"

Sparing me a glance before turning back to the fridge, she started listing off food items. As she said each thing, it would appear on the counter with a poof.

"Garlic." Poof. "Tomatoes." Poof. "Oregano." Poof. "Parmesan Cheese." Poof. "Ground Beef." No poof. I started to say something when a container of beef showed up next to the cheese, much to my confusion. She turned around and saw everything on the counter and started jumping up and down, clapping.

The others walked in and saw her bouncing as I leaned against the wall grinning.

Kid Flash was the only teen hero brave enough to ask the dreaded question. "What's going on?"

"Megan's making pasta. I'm just doing what I can to help."

"It was spectacular! I would say an ingredient we needed but didn't have and when I turned around, every item I said was on the counter! It's amazing!" They looked at me and I just nodded.

"She looked upset about the pasta." I shrugged when they continued to stare. "What?"

Robin stepped forward, closer to me. "But where did it all come from?"

I was confused until I realized that they were wondering if I stole it. "It's not stolen. They're all products of the earth. All I did was find their beginnings and sped things up a bit. They're all natural and completely organic."

"And the meat?"

"That I didn't actually summon at all. I'm a vegetarian except for fish." At their looks of confusion, I told the story. "On the island, I messed up a spell and spent a month talking to animals. Never encountered any fish, so I don't feel guilty about eating them."

"So where did the ground beef come from then?" I didn't have an answer for that, so I shrugged, but tested it for toxins.

"It's clean though, so why not use it?" They shrugged and Megan set to cooking the pasta as I made the cheesecake like Circe taught me to. It was one of the only things we did together that was actually normal. Completely homemade, too.

"Done." I silently cheered when the cheesecake looked edible and presentable for the group. Megan glanced at me from her place cutting the tomatoes.

"Do you want to help with the pasta," she asked. I nodded. "Can you shred the cheese please? We won't need it until later, but everything else is already done."

"Sure. Do you know where the shredder thing is?" I couldn't seem to find the device in any of the cabinets or drawers. I ducked out the cabinets that housed the skillets and backed into a solid body. "Sorry," I said looking up at Conner.

"It's fine. Probably hurt you more than me." He joked as he handed me the metal contraption with a smug grin that soon turned curious. "Why not just use magic to shred the cheese or to find the cheese grater?"

"I never use magic to cook, it's more fun when you do it the normal way," I said grinning. "And I couldn't summon the cheese grater because I didn't know what it was called." I pouted when he started laughing. "Oh hardy freaking har."

"Sorry," he muttered, stifling a laugh. After he sobered up, he perched himself on top of the kitchen island and watched me shred the Parmesan. "Did you cook often wherever you were?"

"Not on Themyscira, but after I left, I cooked all the time." I wasn't really paying attention to the conversation, more concerned with not shredding my fingertips.

"Where did you go after Themyscira?" He sounded genuinely interested, but I was well aware of the others hovering around the doorway listening in.

"I traveled around mostly. Had to train in every type of environment, so we didn't stay in one place very long." I wasn't lying. I did travel a lot, but the reason wasn't to train. Circe had an unhealthy obsession with things that were shiny, glittery, and belonged to others.

"We?" His ears seemed to visibly perk up at the mention of another person. I cursed.

I nodded and looked to the doorway. "If I'm going to tell this story, I'm telling it once. Let's all go into the lounge and sit." Glancing at the food left to prepare, I turned to Megan. "Don't worry about the food. Story time is more important than having fun right now." With that said, I cast the spells necessary to finish dinner and joined them in the lounge for what would become a long night.


	7. Story Time with the Team

Disclaimer: If you recognize something, it did not originate in my cranium. In other words, i don't own it.

* * *

Everyone was seated in the lounge by the time I walked in. I watched as they became situated on the long, red couch. It was almost surreal; they were doing something so normal and I was about to lose any chance of ever being that normal.

When they settled down, I walked over from my place on the wall and sat in the armchair at an angle from the couch. I glanced at them from the corner of my eye, only three were actually watching me like hawks; Conner, Kaldur, and Robin. They were suspicious, that much was obvious, but the others seemed more curious than anything else.

"So, hot stuff, I'm guessing you're not about to read Goldilocks and the Three Bears to us," Kid Flash stated semi-seriously, staring at me with one arm draped over the back of the couch. I almost grinned at him, but refrained.

" Sorry Kid," I started. "But you guys are a little old for fairy tales and I've never been a fan of happy endings. Not very realistic." He nodded grimly and made a motion with his hand to say 'get on with it'.

"So no fairy tale then." He gave me a look to quit stalling. I nodded and decided to start from as far back to the beginning as I could go.

"I was raised on Themyscira, but I wasn't born there. No one actually knows where I came from. The Amazons just found me crying as a newborn on one of the beaches and took me into their care," I paused to take a breath. Then continued on, "it wasn't discovered that I could use magic until I was around six, but by then I was able to use almost any type of weapon expertly, ride horses, catch prey, you name it. I was raised as an Amazon. They even named me."

Artemis took my hesitation to speak as an opportunity to ask a question. "They named you Allana Medici?"

I began to nod, but shook my head. At their confused faces, I elaborated. "They gave me the name Allana which means 'child' in Gaelic. When I left Themyscira, I took on the last name Medici to fit into the world of man." She nodded like she understood, so I started talking again.

"It was fine and dandy until my powers showed up and they decided that I must serve in the temples until I died. They locked me away in the temple of the Goddess Hecate. It was she that had given me my abilities, but even she did not agree that I was meant for the life of a temple maiden." A pause for air. "The whole temple thing lasted about a year before I was finally powerful enough to leave the island without hurting anyone. So I left-"

I was interrupted by Kid Flash. "Where did you go?"

I glared at the speedster who at least pretended to look sheepish, but answered anyway. "As far as I could. My immediate location was Italy, hence the Italian last name. I was only there for two weeks though when a powerful sorceress discovered my powers and took me under her wing to train me." I stopped talking, not yet ready to drop the bomb on the only friends I had ever known.

Noticing my hesitation, Kaldur leaned forward and asked something that left no room for deceit. "Who?"

I took a big breath and let it all out in one word with my eyes closed. "Circe." I opened my eyes but no one had moved from their spots. They were still watching me, but they didn't look any more or less suspicious than they had before. Megan tilted her head, confused.

"Who is this Circe and why do you appear nervous?"

I looked to Robin to explain. I knew her as a daughter would her mother, he knew her from a hero's view of a villain which was more appropriate in the circumstances.

He nodded and explained the significance of the name I just dropped. "Circe is a evil sorceress with a knack for turning people into animals. She's mostly a thief, but has a grudge against Wonder Woman and the Amazons. She's immortal and uses magic to do whatever she wants. Pretty much like any other bad guy." As he spoke, he stared at me without blinking. Megan nodded and the group's attention was brought back to me.

I nodded. "While that's all one hundred percent true, that's not the woman that raised and trained me. Granted she was a villain the whole time, she was like a mother to me." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Artemis flinch. I wasn't the only one raised by a villain. "She taught me everything she knew and then sent me to other masters around the world. We never had a home base of any kind because we were always on the move." This was where I needed to be careful about my words. "Circe had a weakness of sorts from pretty things, most of which didn't belong to her and weren't for sale. Earlier I mentioned how I had never been shopping or used money before, right?" They all nodded. "Everything we wanted or needed was either transmuted out of something else or stolen. She didn't involve me at first and it was only a few weeks ago when my training was complete that she figured that I could become her partner in crime."

"What training have you had?" I think Conner asked, but I was too caught up in my story to care.

I shook my head loose of all the images and responded. "Mostly magical training seeing as I was trained to fight by the Amazons, warriors born and all that jazz. I spent a couple of months with Dr. Fate, a few weeks with Zatara, I spent a day studying under Morgaine le Fey in some parallel universe where time slowed down enough that it was two years for me there." I let out a short chuckle. Morgaine le Fey was kinda sorta insane, but I learned a lot from her. "There were others, but the point is that each of my mentors taught me about magic while also serving as tutors for common lessons I would need as a normal person to fit in." Along with lessons in subjects that were so undeniably off the wall, I can't even imagine the circumstances for those to become required.

"Anyways, after Circe ran out of people to train me, she decided that I was ready to join her in the pursuit of evil. I had worked with enough heroes to know right from wrong and ran. We were in Russia at the time visiting some old mountain sanctuary, so it took a while from me to get far enough away." I paused to let out a sigh and continued on. "I knew Circe wouldn't follow me, but I didn't want to be anywhere near her or I'd be guilted into helping her. I had heard tales of the Dynamic Duo and wanted to see for myself and, tada, here I am." I glanced at each of their faces. "Any questions?"

Kid Flash raised his hand, but immediately after starting talking. "Let me get this straight, you were found as a baby on Themyscira, raised until you were six as a warrior, got your powers, lived in a temple for a year, broke out when you were seven, spent two weeks in Italy by yourself, got picked up by Circe, lived with her for seven years, ran off, went to Gotham to meet Batman and Robin, and now are on a team with six other young superheroes, and you don't think it sounds anything like a fairytale?" He was talking so fast that I almost didn't understand what he was saying.

I laughed, "Yeah, I guess it is kind of like a fairy tale. But that's my story. Any other questions?"

"Yeah," Robin said seriously. "You want my autograph? I'd feel bad to deny a fan that would come all the way from Russia to see me." The others laughed as I stuck my tongue out at him only for him to walk over, grab it, and yank. He pulled my tongue hard enough to send me sprawling to the floor.

I glared at him as I got up, muttering "ass hat" as I walked back to the kitchen to check on the lasagna. Turning my back to the team, I smiled secretly. Even after finding out that my mentor was a villain, they still welcomed me. That's a pretty good feeling, but the next person to grab my tongue gets their fingers bitten off. Clean through too, I have sharp teeth.


	8. The Nerve of Some People

Disclaimer: I only own my OC and the storyline/plot/details that differ from the canon.

"Guys," I hollered from the kitchen. "Dinner is ready." I was just pulling the lasagna out of the oven when Megan floated into the room and hovered by the fridge. "Can you get the salad and cheesecake out please?"

"Sure." She nodded, but made no move to open the fridge, just stared at me with squinted eyes.

I sighed and placed the entree on the island. "Yes?"

She opened her mouth, but immediately shut it again only for the process to repeat once more. I stared at her and sent the silent command for the table to be set and the dishes to be taken to the dining room. "What are you able to do? I mean, we know you're story, but we still don't know much about you or your abilities."

I nodded and headed for the dining room where everyone else was already seated. I gestured for her to take her seat before I pulled out my chair and unceremoniously dropped myself into the seat. "I'll answer any questions you have, so go ahead and ask."

Kaldur spoke first. "We know your name is Allana Medici, is there a family that goes along with that?"

I shook my head. "I was only in Italy for two weeks and Medici is a pretty common name. I figured that no one would notice another person with it."

"What can you do? We know about your Amazon training, but next to nothing about your magic," Artemis shot across, cutting off whatever Wally had opened his mouth to say. I shot her a grin when Wally pouted quite obviously. He chose to reach for his third helping of pasta instead of glaring at the archer.

"I got my magic from the Greek Goddess Hecate. She presides over the night, the moon, necromancy, witchcraft, and magic itself. Basically, my powers are stronger at night and I'm strongest on the night of a full moon. I can also communicate with the dead, humans and animals. My magic is pretty much like anyone else's magic, just much more powerful due to my direct link to its source." I stopped to take a drink and a bite from my salad. "You've seen me use transmutation, telekinesis, summoning, and flight, but I can shapeshift and use telepathy as well. Then there's the other stuff that comes with being favored by any of the gods; speed, strength, resistance to injury, slowed aging, and direct communication with the gods and access to any and all of their knowledge."

I looked up from my salad at their silence and immediately felt like some sort of sideshow freak. Each of the team were just staring at me. Some of their faces would of been comical had it been anyone else they were gaping at. Kid Flash looked like he was choking on air, Artemis was just staring with her jaw dropped, Megan looked confused, Connor looked kinda pissed, and Kaldur looked like he was contemplating something. Robin, the little shit, looked smug as hell. They were staring at me as I stared at Robin.

Seeing my frown, he grinned and let out a short chuckle. "I did some research after you snapped at Batman. I figured your powers would reflect hers, so I already knew most of what you just said."

That figures. "What a good little detective you'll turn out to be. Too bad you still aren't tall enough to make use of the intimidating Bat-Glare." At his scowl, I grinned and stuck out my tongue. He grabbed it. Again. And this time I made good on my promise and bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood. He jerked his hand away from my mouth and glared. "I did warn you. You didn't listen." Now it was my turn to be smug.

"Back to the point," Connor snapped. "You're pretty much the strongest here then, right?"

I tilted my head at him, confused. "Not really. In some circumstances, I could be the strongest asset, but it would depend." He didn't look like he understood. "Like, if we were underwater, Kaldur would be the strongest. If we were in space, Megan." He nodded, but didn't look like he was very happy with my explanation.

Wally swallowed and spoke up since no one else was saying anything. "I think he means on a normal basis, could you beat us in a fight or in training?" He looked to the clone when he said this and only looked back to me after Connor nodded, satisfied with the way Wally worded it.

"Honestly?" They all nodded. "I have no idea. We'd actually have to fight and to tell you the truth, I really don't want to know if I could win against all of you. Any other questions?"

"Yeah," Robin said. "Lots, but if we don't start eating again, Wally's gonna eat everything." With a muffled retort from the speedster, we all dug back into our meal and there was no more talking until after dessert was served.

"Thanks for helping me with clean up," Megan said as we carried the dishes back into the kitchen, placing them carefully in the dishwasher after a quick rinse in the sink.

I shrugged, but since her back was turned, she didn't see it. "Sure, no problem. What do we do now though?"

She finished loading the washer and turned to face me. "We normally just hang out to watch movies or in the others' cases, go home."

"That sounds oddly normal for a group of heroes," I said as we meandered into the lounge area where everyone else was, staring at the tv screen. "What about missions?"

"Batman said we're on a hiatus from missions to acquaint ourselves with the newest member to the team," Kaldur stated as Megan and I practically fell into the furniture. Her next to Connor and myself next to the Boy Wonder.

I blushed, but nodded. "Oh. Sorry about that."

"Why?" I shot a glance over to Wally who was curled around a bowl of ice cream and shrugged.

"I know how much it means to receive missions. I feel kinda bad about keeping you from them." At the added stares of the others, I shrugged and attempted to bury myself in the cushions of the couch. "What?"

Robin chuckled, shaking his head. "If you feel so bad, how about this? You ask batman to send us on a mission as a way to get to know you better. You do that and we'll forgive you mission blocking us. Deal?" He held out his hand and watched me with a smirk.

I stared at him before turning to the others, who were focused on the opening credits to whatever movie they picked. Turning back to Robin, I shrugged. "Why not? I'm in." And we shook on it.

He released my hand and we both turned to the movie that looked to be some action flick. I watched until the bad guy shot missiles at the Eiffel Tower, but soon lost interest thereafter. Leaning on Robin's shoulder I muttered about the nerve of some people. I hadn't realized how close we were until he chuckled. I jumped away and landed on the floor by Kaldur's feet. At his bemused look, I scoffed and turned back to the destroyed Eiffel Tower on the screen.


End file.
